Tubing conveyed permanent completion method and device

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus for effecting a dual completed well wherein the lower zone is packed off or isolated from the upper zone prior to perforating either zone; the upper zone is then completed, whereafter the lower zone is perforated. In perforating the lower zone a casing perforating gun, gun firing mechanism, and packer are run into the hole with the gun being suspended below the packer and properly positioned with respect to the borehole. The lower zone is then isolated and the tubing to the packer is removed. The upper zone is then completed, tested, and shut-in, if desired. The tubing is again flow connected to the packer, swabbed clean, and then the casing perforator is actuated, with the production from the lower zone being free to flow to the surface of the earth at the moment the lower perforations are made by the gun. The packer, gun and the firing mechanism are left in the hole.



1. The method of completing a lower hydrocarbon zone of a well after an upper hydrocarbon zone has been completed, comprising the steps of:
 1. suspending a packer and a casing perforator means on the end of a tubing string with the perforator means being placed in underlying relationship relative to the packer;
 2. positioning the packer downhole by using the tubing string in a manner to dispose the perforator adjacent to the lower hydrocarbon zone;
 3. forming a fluid flow path from below the packer which communicates the interior of the casing with the interior of the tubing string;
 4. completing the upper zone;
 5. completing the lower zone by actuating the perforator means;
 6. leaving the perforator means downhole and producing the lower zone through the tubing string and producing the upper zone through the upper casing annulus.
 2. positioning the packer downhole by using the tubing string in a manner to dispose the perforator adjacent to the lower hydrocarbon zone;
 2. Method of claim 1 wherein step (3) is carried out by interposing a perforated nipple between the perforator means and the packer.
 2. positioning the packer downhole by using the tubing string in a manner to dispose the perforator means at a location adjacent to the lower hydrocarbon zone, and to isolate the upper borehole annulus which penetrates the upper hydrocarbon formation from the lower borehole annulus which penetrates the lower hydrocarbon formation, thereby preventing any production from flowing from the upper hydrocarbon formation into the lower borehole annulus;
 2. setting the packer means downhole in the borehole at a location which positions the perforator means adjacent to at least one hydrocarbon containing formation, while at the same time isolating the portion of the borehole underlying the packer means from the portion of the borehole located above the packer means;
 2. setting the packer means within the borEhole at a position which enables the packer means to isolate a lower portion of the borehole from an upper portion of the borehole and which positions the perforating means adjacent to the production zone;
 2. setting the packer means within the borehole at a position which isolates a lower portion of the borehole containing the lower hydrocarbon containing formation from an upper portion of the borehole containing the upper completed hydrocarbon containing formation; and which positions the explosive means adjacent to the lower hydrocarbon containing formation;
 2. setting the packer means downhole in the borehole at a location which positions the perforator means adjacent to at least one hydrocarbon containing formation of the lower hydrocarbon containiNg zone, while at the same time isolating the portion of the borehole underlying the packer means from the portion of the borehole located above the packer means;
 3. forming a flow path which communicates the lower borehole annulus with the interior of the tubing string;
 3. forming an unobstructed flow path which extends from the borehole annulus underlying the packer means, into the tubing string, and uphole to the top of the borehole;
 3. forming a flow path which communicates the lower portion of the borehole with the interior of the tubing string;
 3. forming an unobstructed flow path which extends from the portion of the borehole underlying the packer means, into the tubing string, and uphole to the top of the borehole;
 3. forming a fluid flow path which extends from the lower borehole annulus, into the interior of the tubing string, and up the interior of the tubing string to the surface of the ground;
 3. forming a fluid flow path from below the packer which communicates the interior of the casing with the interior of the tubing string;
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the well is open flowed the instant the perforations are formed to thereby avoid contamination of the hydrocarbon bearing formation.
 4. Method of claim 1 wherein the perforator means is a deep penetrating shaped charge which is placed adjacent the casing wall so as to enable a deep penetration to be effected into the hydrocarbon bearing zone.
 4. completing the upper zone;
 4. plugging the passageway below the tubing string;
 4. actuating the casing perforator means so as to perforate the casing and to communicate the hydrocarbon containing formation of the lower zone with the borehole annulus underlying the packer means to thereby enable production from the last named formation to flow through the perforations, into the lower borehole annulus underlying the packer means, into and up through the tubing string, and to the top of the bore-hole.
 4. completing the lower hydrocarbon formation by actuating the perforator means of step (1);
 4. using the interior of the tubing string as a passageway through which the perforating means is caused to be actuated so as to communicate the interior of the borehole which underlies the packer means with the production zone;
 4. reducing the hydrostatic head within the tubing string to essentially zero at the packer means;
 5. using the interior of the tubing string as a passageway through which the explosive means is actuated, so as to communicate the lower borehole annulus with the lower hydrocarbon containing formation;
 5. producing the production zone along the flow path of step (3) immediately upon carrying out step (4) and,
 5. leaving the perforator means downhole and producing the lower zone through the tubing string and producing the upper zone through the upper casing annulus.
 5. removing the tubing string;
 5. completing the lower zone by actuating the perforator means;
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the shaped charge is detonated in response to apparatus which is disposed through the tubing string.
 6. leaving the perforator means downhole and producing the lower zone through the tubing string and producing the upper zone through the upper casing annulus.
 6. completing an upper zone of the well;
 6. severing the perforating means from the packer means to permit any remaining part of the perforating means to drop to the bottom of the borehole after the well has been completed.
 6. producing fluid from the lower hydrocarbon containing formation by flowing the fluid along the flow path set forth in step (3); and
 6. The method set forth in claim 4, wherein the shaped charge is electrically fired by running a means having a source of electrical current therein through the tubing interior and to the perforator means on a wire-line.
 7. producing fluid from the upper hydrocarbon containing formation by flowing the fluid up the upper borehole annulus.
 7. replacing the tubing string;
 7. In a well having a borehole which extends downhole through an upper and a lower hydrocarbon containing zone, with each zone having at least one hydrocarbon containing formation, with the lower zone being isolated from the interior of the borehole by a well casing or the like, the method of completing the lower zone of the well after the upper zone has been completed comprising the steps of:
 8. removing essentially all of the liquid from the tubing string;
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein step (2) is carried out by running a gamma ray and collar locator through the tubing on a wire line so as to enable a gamma ray log to be obtained and indexed with an open hole log whereupon the gun can be positioned adjacent to a formation indicated on the open hole log.
 9. unplugging the passageway; and,
 9. The method of claim 7 wherein step (3) is carried out by interposing a perforated nipple between the perforator means and the packer, and by removing essentially all of any liquid which may be present in the tubing string above the packer means so as to provide a hydrostatic head which is essentially zero at the hydrocarbon containing formation.
 10. actuating the casing perforator means so as to perforate the casing and to communicate the hydrocarbon producing formation with the portion of the borehole underlying the packer means, thereby enabling flow to occur into and up through the tubing string, and to the top of the borehole.
 10. The method of claim 7, and further including the step of reducing the hydrostatic head within the tubing string to essentially zero prior to carrying out step (4).
 11. In an oil well having a well bore which penetrates an upper and a lower hydrocarbon containing formation, the method of completing the lower hydrocarbon containing formation after the upper hydrocarbon containing formation has been completed so that fluid from the upper completed formation is prevented from contaminating the lower hydrocarbon containing formation while it is being completed, comprising the steps of:
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein step (2) is carried out by running a gamma ray and collar locator through the tubing on a wire line to enable a gamma ray log to be obtained and subsequently indexed with an open hole log.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein step (3) is carried out by interposing a perforated nipple between the packer and the explosive means.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the nipple and any remaining explosive means is left downhole after completing the well.
 15. In a borehole which extends into proximity of a production zone, the method of completing a well comprising the steps of:
 16. Apparatus for completing a production zone of a well bore, comprising, in combination: a tool string which includes a packer means, a production tubing, an explosive perforating gun means which is larger in overall diameter than said tubing; a gun firing head, and a perforated nipple; said gun means being attached to and underlying said gun firing head, said gun firing head being attached to and underlying said perforated nipple, said perforated nipple being attached to and underlying said packer means, said tubing being connected to said packer means to thereby enable the tubing to position the packer means within the well bore so as to suspend the gun means adjacent to a production zone; a plug means which can be removably placed within said tool string so as to isolate the perforated nipple from the interior of the production tubing; means by which the tubing can be removably affixed to said packer means, and, means for actuating said gun head when the last said means is lowered through the interior of the tubing string and into contact with said gun head when the production tubing is attached to the packer; said gun head including opposed ends, and means forming a longitudinally extending passageway therethrough; one said opposed end adapted to be connected to said gun means and the remaining said opposed end adapted to be connected to the perforated nipple for supporting the gun means and the gun head in the before recited manner; a detonator, a primary detonator assembly adapted to cause said detonator to explode when said primary detonator is exploded, and a firing pin holder; said passageway including a chamber for holding said detonator, said primary detonator assembly, and said firing pin holder therein; means including a firing pin reciprocatingly received within said firing pin holder and superimposed over at least part of said primary detonator so as to enable part of said firing pin to strike a part of said primary detonator thereby exploding said primary detonator when said firing pin is moved within said pin holder by said means for actuating said gun head; means connected to said detonator for causing said gun to be actuated when the detonator is exploded; whereby: the gun means can be isolated by the plug from the portion of the borehole laying above the packer, and the tubing string can be removed from the packer means to thereby enable the borehole above the packer means to be entered, and thereafter the tubing string can be replaced, the plug means removed, and the production zone completed by actuating the gun.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for actuating said gun head is a mass which is dropped through the interior of the tubing string so as to enable the mass to strike and move said firing pin.
 18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for actuating said gun head includes means forming a spring loaded mandrel, wire-line means for biasing said mandrel against said spring, and means for releasing said mandrel to thereby enable the biased mandrel to strike and move the firing pin.
 19. The method of coMpleting an oil well wherein an upper and a lower hydrocarbon formation has been penetrated by a cased well bore, and wherein the upper zone has been completed and placed in production, comprising the steps of:
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the well is open flowed the instant communication between the lower zone and the borehole annulus is effected to thereby avoid contamination of the hydrocarbon bearing formation.
 21. The method of claim 19 wherein step (2) is carried out by running a gamma ray and collar locator through the tubing on a wire line so as to enable a gamma ray log to be obtained and subsequently indexed with an open hole log.
 22. The method of claim 19 wherein step (4) is carried out by using a deep penetrating shaped charge which is placed adjacent the casing wall so as to enable a deep penetration to be effected into the lower hydrocarbon bearing zone.
 23. The method of claim 22 wherein the shaped charge is detonated in response to electrical apparatus which is lowered through the tubing string.
 24. The method set forth in claim 22, wherein the shaped charge is electrically fired by running a means having a source of electrical current therein through the tubing interior and to the perforator means on a wire-line.
 25. In a well having a borehole which extends downhole through a production zone having at least one hydrocarbon containing formation, with the zone being isolated from the interior of the borehole by a well casing or the like, the method of completing the well comprising the steps of: suspending a casing perforator means and a packer means from a tubing string; setting the packer means downhole in the borehole at a location which positions the perforator means adjacent to at least one hydrocarbon containing formation, while at the same time isolating the portion of the borehole underlying the packer means from the portion of the borehole located above the packer means; forming an unobstructed flow path which extends from the portion of the borehole underlying the packer means, into the tubing string, and uphole to the top of the borehole; plugging the passageway so as to prevent flow of fluid through the packer means; removing the tubing string above the packer means so as to gain unobstructed access to the portion of the borehole above the packer means; replacing the tubing string above the packer; removing essentially all of the fluid from the tubing string, so as to reduce the pressure differential across the formation to a minimum value, unplugging the passageway; and, actuating the casing perforator means so as to perforate the casing and to communicate the hydrocarbon producing formation with the portion of the borehole underlying the packer means, so that produced fluid can flow into and up through the tubing string, and to the top of the borehole.
 26. In a well having a borehOle which extends downhole through a production zone having at least one hydrocarbon containing formation, with the zone being isolated from the interior of the borehole by a well casing or the like, the method of completing the well comprising the steps of: 